African history has for years been distorted in the same manner that her peoples had been dehumanized. The slave trade across the Sahara and the Atlantic was the major single factor responsible for the first movement of peoples of African descent to the Middle East , Europe , the Caribbean , North and South America , Asia and Oceania - where the vestiges of African culture could still be found. The forced migration of people from Africa at the formative stage of the continent's development impaired the evolution of historical and productive network of relationship among Africans in all parts of the world. Consequently, to promote better understanding between continental and Diaspora Africa, the Centre for Black and African Arts and Civilization (CBAAC) in conjunction with the Special Secretariat for the Promotion of Racial Equality (SEPPIR), Brazil, Pan African Strategic and Policy Research Group (PANAFSTRAG), Institute of Afro Brazilian Studies, the State University of Rio de Janeiro and the Association of African Historians organized an International Colloquium on “Teaching African History and Culture to the Diaspora and Teaching Diaspora History and Culture to Africa” in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in November 2008.
Following the keen interest of the Brazilian government in the teaching of African history and culture as exemplified in Decree 10. 639/03 and the major recommendations of the 2008 Rio de Janeiro Colloquium that the teaching of African and Diaspora history, culture and indigenous knowledge be made compulsory in African institutions in the first instance and be supported by the African Union (AU), Organization of American States, regional and national associations, national governments and non governmental organizations in Africa and the Diaspora; CBAAC, PANAFSTRAG, IPEAFRO and the Brazilian government are jointly organizing another International Colloquium as a follow-up to further explore the teaching of African history and culture and provide direction on the UNESCO pedagogical use of general history of Africa emphasizing the use of African sources such as oral traditions, art forms and linguistics in the study and teaching of African history and culture. The colloquium to be held in Brasilia in November 2009 is expected to bring together academics, experts in African history, archeologists, cultural anthropologists, oral historians and linguists etc.
SUB-THEMES
• i. African and Diaspora History: Pedagogical and Methodological Issues
• ii. Historicizing Africa and the Diaspora
• iii. Archaeology and the pre-History of Africa and the Diaspora
• iv. Global African Identity
• v. Indigenous Knowledge System
• vi. Creativity and the Arts: Popular Culture, Music and Folklores
• vii. Liberation Ideologies in Africa and in the Diaspora
• viii. Slave Trade and Reparations: Trans-Sahara and Trans-Atlantic
• ix. African Religion, Spirituality and Values
• x. Gender in African and Diaspora History
• xi. Language, History and Culture
• xii. Social Capital and Development
• xiii. Colonialism, Neo-Colonialism in African History and Culture
• xiv. Area Studies in African and Diaspora History
• xv. Racism and Ethnic Relations
WORKSHOP THEMES
• i. Pedagogical and Methodological Issues
• ii. The Politics of Teaching and Propagating African and Diaspora History and Culture
• iii. Current Research and Studies on African History, Culture and Indigenous Knowledge
• iv. Area Studies in African and Diaspora History
All abstracts should include title, the author(s) name, institutional affiliation, address, telephone number and email address. All abstracts for consideration which must be in electronic format should be received not later than 15 th July, 2009 by all of the following individuals:
1. tunde_babawale@yahoo.com
2. akinalao@yahoo.com
3. isholawilliams@yahoo.com
4. ibraheem_muheeb@yahoo.com
Authors whose abstracts are accepted would be notified not later than 5 th of August, 2009 while all papers for presentation must be received in electronic format not later than 5 th October, 2009 .
FINANCIAL SUPPORT
Further details on financial support by CBAAC ( if any ) for authors of successful abstracts would be provided later. While the conference is open, participants are encouraged to seek funding from other sources .
The official languages of the conference are: English, French, Spanish and Portuguese.
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